History
The Office of LGBT Life began operations in fall 1991 as the Office of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Student Life. The idea for a university-funded office that would serve the needs of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (lgb) students had originated with a group of graduate students. They presented their idea to the dean for Campus Life, William H. Fox, during the 1990-91 academic year and he agreed to provide a room and a small start-up budget for such an office. For the first year, 1991-92, the office was staffed by two graduate students, Donna Smith and Rev. Michael Wyatt, each working half time.
In December 1991, an incident took place which ultimately led to the office's being expanded: Two first-year gay male students were harassed in their residence hall by fellow residents. The two students filed a complaint under Emory's Discriminatory Harassment Policy, but many lgb people were dissatisfied with the administration's response, and on March 2, 1992, several hundred Emory students and employees marched across the campus in protest. In the aftermath of this protest, Emory's president, James T. Laney, appointed a task force and charged them to assess the campus climate for lgb people at Emory and recommend ways to improve it.
On March 27, 1992, the task force, now called the Committee on LGB Concerns, presented President Laney with its recommendations. The first was that Emory hire a full-time professional director to head the Office of LGB Student Life, and enlarge its purview to include the concerns not only of students, but also of staff and faculty. To recognize the expanded purview, the office would be re-named the Office of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Life. This recommendation was approved, and Saralyn Chesnut was hired as the first director of the renamed office in fall 1992. Chesnut began as director in January 1993.
Among Chesnut's first tasks when she assumed her duties as director of the office was to work with the Committee on LGB Concerns (which continued to meet once each month) to ensure that more of the original recommendations to President Laney were implemented. They focused first on the recommendation that Emory revise its Equal Opportunity Policy (EOP) to include sexual orientation as a protected category. As a result of their efforts, the Board of Trustees approved a revised EOP in June 1993. Chesnut and the Office of LGB Life were also instrumental in winning benefits for the domestic partners of students and employees, another of the recommended measures to improve Emory's climate for lgb people.
During Chesnut's first year as director, the Office of LGB Life established an annual event that brings together members of Emory's lgbt and allies community in celebration of our history and culture: the Emory Pride Banquet. The first Pride Banquet was held on March 2, 1993, and each year the event takes place on or near March 2nd, to commemorate the campus-wide protest held on March 2, 1992 and recognize the gains made since that time.
Other ongoing programs and services instituted during the office's first years of operation include the Speakers Bureau, the Safe Space Program, and a Coming Out Support Group. All of our programs and services depend on the contributions made by students, faculty, staff, and alums who volunteer their time and energy on behalf of the lgbt community at Emory.
The Office of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Life operated with Chesnut as the only professional staff person until fall 1996, when a part-time Program Administrative Assistant position was funded. Two years later the position was increased to a full-time one. Also in the fall of 1998, the office was renamed the Office of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Life, and services and programs were expanded accordingly. In 2008, the Program Administrative Assistant was reclassified as Assistant Director. Also in 2008, after 15 years of service, Chesnut retired. Dr. Michael Shutt began as the new Director in June 2008.
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